| Invisible supporters of “natural learning” |
Constant attention, “really listening” to your child, and
tailoring parenting practices to his natural development without pressuring
him are literacy practices associated with good mothering. |
Supporting children’s literacy comes naturally to sensitive mothers.
This work involves managing domestic time and space, such as limiting
TV and providing quiet space to study. |
The ideal mother has the choice and desire to stay at home with her
children. Idealized oral language and literacy practices normalize and
reproduce gendered divisions of labour in the home. |
| Identical interests: mothers as literacy co-learners |
Mothers’ interests and children’s interests are the same.
Mothers enjoy reading practices that their children enjoy and children
model their mothers’ literacy practices. Mothers with little formal
education are not good literacy models and need to improve their own literacy
to prevent their children from continuing this “cycle.” |
Mothers and fathers should see themselves as entertainers and salespeople,
constantly improving their skills to encourage their children to read.
Mothers are also responsible for managing the time and space required
to promote one-to one “special time” with each child, promoting
bonding. |
Children of working mothers or “broken” families may not
become good readers because they do not receive the literacy interactions
deemed essential for school readiness. |
| Domestic literacy as nation-building: Mothering for the “new knowledge
economy” |
Reading difficulties start at an early age with lifetime consequences.
Mothers need to ensure their children are ready for school and ready to
participate in the economy by more constant interaction with their children,
more professional knowledge of how and what to read to children. |
North America is in a literacy crisis because families have lax attitudes
toward learning. Parents need to take responsibility for the quality of
education their children receive by teaching in the home, supervising
homework,monitoring schools and teachers. |
Mothers need to prioritize their children’s education and emotional
happiness by caring for them at home in the early years. |